Albert Einstein, F.B.I. Interview

F.B.I. interview with Albert Einstein, November 1, 1940

Before Leo Szilard and Enrico Fermi could receive government funding to
continue their chain-reaction research, the National Defense Research Committee
demanded security clearances. An Army Intelligence report dated August 13, 1940
recommended against clearance. Szilard, it claimed, was “very pro-German,”
and Fermi was “undoubtedly a Fascist.”

Army Intelligence forwarded the report to the FBI and requested
an investigation. FBI agents conducted background checks and interviewed colleagues
at Columbia University, then interviewed Albert Einstein in Princeton.

This interview is transcribed exactly as it appears in FBI files.
The capitalization of names (EINSTEIN, SZILARD) was standard FBI
practice. Einstein’s English was not fluent, and the FBI agent
apparently did not speak German. I have noted obvious errors by
adding “[sic].”

AT PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

Professor ALBERT EINSTEIN was contacted at his home 112
Mercer Street, and he advised that he has known LEO SZILARD since
about the year 1920. He said that he believes SZILARD is a little
over 30 [sic] years of age and was born in Hungary of Jewish parents.
Professor EINSTEIN advised that he did not know anything about
SZILARD’S relatives as he only knew him from a scientific point
of view.

He further advised that LEO SZILARD was probably educated in
Budapest, Hungary but that later in life he had spent most of his
time in Berlin, Germany. He also stated that SZILARD had left
Germany about the year 1933 and that he had spent sometime in
England, although he, EINSTEIN, could not recall whether SZILARD
had been in England prior to or after the year 1933. Professor
EINSTEIN further related that SZILARD had made several trips to
the United States in recent years.

He advised that SZILARD, while in Berlin, had been assistant
to Professor LAUE at the University of Berlin. He said that
Professor LAUE was a very decent man and that he is the only
German he knows who behaved in an admirable way after Hitler’s
advent to power. Professor EINSTEIN continued that at the time
SZILARD was at the University of Berlin he himself was at the
Academy of Music [sic] in Berlin and he saw SZILARD every day for
many years. He said that he did not believe that SZILARD had ever
become a German citizen, although he was not positive of
this.

In connection with the inventions SZILARD is supposed to have
perfected with Professor EINSTEIN, the latter stated that he and
SZILARD had been interested in the construction of a small
cooling machine similar to our household refrigerators. He stated
that they had worked together on this machine for sometime but
had never completed it because of lack of money to finish it in
its experimental stage. However, he advised that they had taken
out several patents on several parts of the machine. He stated
that he did not know whether SZILARD might still be receiving
royalties from these patents but said that he doubted very much
whether SZILARD could be receiving any money from Germany at the
present time. He said that SZILARD had some sort of an agreement
by which he was to receive so much money from the Allgemeine
Elektricituts [sic] Gefellichaft [sic] (A.E.G.). EINSTEIN said that
this company would be known in America as the German General
Electric Company.

He went on to say that LEO SZILARD had left Germany about the
year 1933 and that he believes SZILARD went to England and
visited America on several occasions.

He advised that at the present time SZILARD is connected in
some manner with Columbia University in New York City, where he
is working on uranium experiments for military purposes. He
stated that this work is on a private scale but that it is
financed by the University. He said that SZILARD is working with
an Italian by the name of FERMI, who is a very trustworthy man.
Professor EINSTEIN said that he sees SZILARD quite frequently as
SZILARD visits him to inform him as to his work on the uranium
experiment. He said that the last time he had seen SZILARD was a
week or ten days ago, at which time SZILARD had visited him,
together with Professor EUGENE WIGNER, of Princeton
University.

Professor EINSTEIN advised that SZILARD is a theoretical
physicist. He stated that SZILARD is a very idealistic man who is
not at all politically minded. He stated that he had never been
connected with any organizations, societies, or political groups
abroad. He said that SZILARD is a very fine, gifted young man;
that he is absolutely honest, reliable, and trustworthy, and that
he would recommend him very highly to the United States
Government. Professor EINSTEIN stated that he would recommend
SZILARD without any hesitation and that he would assume any
responsibility for his conduct. He said that SZILARD is as
anti-Nazi as he himself is and that SZILARD is an outspoken Democrat.
He further advised that he believed the U.S. Government could
trust SZILARD in any respect without any fear whatsoever that
SZILARD might disclose confidential information to a foreign
power.

Professor EINSTEIN stated that Professor WIGNER was a very
close friend of SZILARD’S and that SZILARD was also acquainted
with Professor JOHN VON NEUMANN, 26 Westcott Road, Princeton,
N.J. Of these two he believed that Professor WIGNER would know
more concerning SZILARD.